Improvements like more trains per day and an extension from Stockton and Lathrop to Manteca, Modesto, Turlock, and Merced. Also a rerouting through Tracy and a connection to the Union City BART station.

The ACEForward authors do not anticipate electrification, but they mention the possibility of using Diesel Multiple Units.

The two lines literally cross each other. The number of ACE trains, even in the future, is 9 per day. they should just build a dedicated transfer station where the two lines cross and have BART trains only stop to meet an ACE train and skip the station all other times. Build two island platforms and potentially don't even bother making a connection to the neighborhood (sort of like the EWR station on the northeast corridor).

* McKinley Ave. on former WP, Hunter St. on former SP, apparently the same place

I believe the Altamont Press railfan timetables were discontinued after the death of the editor and publisher, and as far as I know no one seized the baton. It must have been a mammoth undertaking to keep those issues up to date--just consider the additional trackage and interlockings being installed on LA Metrolink during that period.

The article is behind a paywall, but the gist is in the first paragraph anyway: BizJournals.com

The Siemens Mobility train factory in Sacramento received a contract to build four of its new Charger locomotives for use on the Altamont Corridor Express commuter route, with an option for four additional train engines.

That's interesting. I'm a bit surprised they went the new-build route. Although 20 years old, the ACE locomotives make 1x/day in each direction. That's the definition of pampered, compared to P42's of the same age doing 24/7 long distance service or even busy commuter rails doing backhauls and 2nd/3rd trips in line MNCR or Metra.

Whoever gets those ACE's are getting a good buy.

Edit: after reading the release, it looks like a serious expansion in consist is happening. God forbid we actually buy new power in the US before it crumbles into the ground...

it's even worse if you look closely. they currently have 6 locomotives for 8 trains/day. they are buying 4 more with an option for another 4. even if they don't exercise the option they will have 10 locomotives for 8 trains. There's also only 9 cab cars. They tout the ability to pull 10-car trains but there's only a total of 30 cars on the property lol.

from the meeting notes the contract cost is $30,896,568. apparently they have done a midlife overhaul of one existing locomotive as well.